Come What May
by qbertsgoingtoeatyou
Summary: Satine isn't dead... but the Duke wants to keep her and Christian apart. What will happen?    Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, or the songs, or the movies. I just own what I've written.
1. Chapter 1

As Christian cried over Satine's body Zidler gently pulled him away.

"Christian! She's dead!" he hissed.

Christian moaned. "No, no! It's not true! She can't be dead!"

Marie put a hand over her mouth as though she was about to cry.

"She's… not… dead." said Christian quietly.

Suddenly, Christian stood and Satine slumped to the stage floor.

Toulouse-Lautrec, looking worriedly at Christian, asked, "Are you alright, Christian?"

Christian clenched and unclenched his hands. "No, goddammit! Just leave me alone!"

Tears shone in Christian's eyes as he ran from the stage.

Christian threw himself onto the bed, sobbing.

"My life is meaningless without Satine." he said sadly. Christian rose from the bed and looked at his typewriter. He quickly covered it with a sheet.

"Tell our story, Christian, that way I'll always be with you." Christian said bitterly. "You're not with me now, are you? You aren't here!" he shouted.

"You're…" his voice faltered, "…dead."

Christian began to sob as he walked over to the window, staring at the crimson mill of the Moulin Rouge.

"Come what may, I will love you until my dying day." Christian sang quietly. "Sooner than I thought."


	2. Chapter 2

In the smokey back room of the Moulin Rouge where late-night transactions took place, Satine's body lay on a dirty chaise.

It was a split-second action, invisible if you aren't looking for it, but the body blinked. And then… there it was again. The slightest flicker of the eyelashes.

Satine opened her eyes. She feebly lifted a hand and swiped at her eyes, wildly smearing makeup.

"The show must go on," said Satine weakly, coughing. Marie turned to look at her.

"Satine!" she exclaimed. "My darling! You… you are awake!"

Satine exhaustedly dropped her head onto the chaise as Marie ran from the room. Echoing down the hall was a chant of "Harry! Christian! She's awake!"

There is a hiccup as the Duke ran into Marie.

"Are you saying that Satine is alive?" he said snarkily. "And Christian doesn't know it? Oh, this is a treat. A treat indeed."

"Monsieur Duke, of course Christian… must know! They are in love, Monsieur!" Marie exclaimed.

"Do I need to pay you, a harlot, to keep Christian away? Here!" he hissed, throwing bills at Marie.

Marie looked as though she is about to cry. She nodded and continued down the hall for Zidler.

"Satine, my darling!" exclaimed the Duke, rushing to Satine's side.

"I… I am not dead." said Satine confusedly. "Somehow, I was kept here… b-by an angel! An angel! Christian is my angel."

The Duke shook his head and grabbed Satine's hand. "No, Satine, Christian… he has died. He took his own life to be with you."

Satine gasped. "Christian… is dead? No! No!"

The Duke said, smirking, "But it is."


	3. Chapter 3

"Satine… Satine!" Christian said deliriously, tossing around on his bed. His dreams were constantly haunted by her porcelain skin and crimson lips. Was there even one moment in a day when Satine was not his only thought?

Christian rolled off the bed and bolted upright. "I might as well end it, once and for all!" exclaimed Christian, knocking over a chair on his way to the window where he and Satine had so many tender moments.

"Look at it, Paris!" shouted Christian at the lights of late-night, red-light Paris. "Maybe it'll be the first time when a man dies from heartbreak!"

Toulouse-Lautrec looked up from the street. "No, Christian! The greatest thing…"

Christian cut him off. "You'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." he said bitterly. "That's nothing. The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to give up on love. It'll never work."

Toulouse-Lautrec sighed. "No, Christian, never give up. write the story, Christian, write the story."

"No! I don't want to write!" shouted Christian at Lautrec, who was going inside.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door.

"Get out!" screamed Christian.

"Christian, you can't stay in here forever!" shouted Toulouse, pounding on the door.

"Yes I can! There's no reason for me to leave without Satine!"

Toulouse sighed. "There is nothing more I can do… but Christian. We want you here. We need you to write."

Christian scowled. "I have no inspiration. I could die just now and it wouldn't matter."


	4. Chapter 4

Satine looked up at the Duke as a single tear fell from her eyes.

"No. I-I can't. I will never love you, I… love Christian."

The Duke laughed. "You may not realize, pet, but I own the Moulin Rouge. So I suggest you do what I say or you will be out of a job."

Satine gasped. "Th-that's blackmail! You dirty scoundrel!"

"Oh, Satine. You are a fickle woman."

Satine slowly sat up. "That's half of my charm, Duke." She smiled at him. For a girl who didn't love him, she was wildly convincing.

"Satine, now that the boy is… out of the way… we must once again present Spectacular, Spectacular."

"No, no." said Satine. "The memories…"

"The memories are nothing! You are an actress- act like one!" shouted the Duke vehemently.

Satine looks scared and bounces up from the chaise.

"If Christian is dead take me to his grave. I-I will do what you want, just let me see his grave."

The Duke smiled, looking confused. "But, Satine, darling, he has only been dead a few hours… th-they burned his body. Not enough money for a proper burial."

Satine bites her lip. "No! That's not true! He's not dead! You're keeping me from him!"

"Christian is dead and gone, Satine. If you refse to believe me, he who has never lied to you, ask this… Marie woman." he said, disgustedly enunciating Marie's name.

Marie returned with Zidler who looked ecstatic.

"It's true, dead." said Marie sadly. "Christian is dead."

"No!" shouted Satine. "Never!"


	5. Chapter 5

As Christian leaned precariously on the edge of the balcony, he heard shouts from the Moulin Rouge.

"Satine? Satine!" he shouted. Was it simply his delirium that made him believe it was Satine yelling or was it something else… something deeper… the last throes of a broken heart to remedy itself?

Christian threw himself away from the edge and back into his room. "Satine! Satine! I've got to go find her!"

As Christian banged open the door, he saw Toulouse-Lautrec still standing outside his room.

"Oh, look! You're leaving!"

"Yes, is there something wrong with that? I need to go and find Satine! Now!" Christian exclaimed.

"I love to see a man's determination for his love," said Toulouse.

"Shut up!" exclaimed Christian, pushing Toulouse-Lautrec aside.

Satine looked up at the Duke from the bed.

"I refuse to sleep with you." she thinks, "Never, never, never."

"Shall we dine in the tower tonight?" said Satine, hiding her real thoughts inside her mind.

"Of course, my darling." he said, pulling Satine up. She jerked forward and stood up.

"Why do I still have to do this?" thought Satine. "Why will he not just let me go?"

"Oh, Satine. Soon you will be a star." said the Duke.

Satine smiled. "A star. All I want is to be a star."

"It will happen, my darling." said the Duke. "It will happen and that awful boy will not stop you." he whispered to himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Christian burst through the front doors of the Moulin Rouge. A few people looked strangely at him, but he didn't understand why. He'd only been there yesterday.

"Satine!" he called, running towards the brightly-lit stage. "Satine!"

Satine awoke with a start. "Christian!" she said breathily, standing up. She pulled a silk robe around herself and walked down from her room, worrying and hoping that it was really Christian. Had she just imagined it? Had her feverish, love-stricken mind imagined her love waiting for her?

Satine fell back from her quickened pace. She must just be imagining things. But how could she know for sure? Satine continued walking purposefully, bursting onto the stage where Christian was incredulously staring at her indecently-clothed (even for a 'lady of the night') body.

"Satine! You're alive!" he exclaimed.

"Christian!" Satine gasped, putting a hand over her mouth in surprise. She ran towards him and they embraced, as Satine began to cry.

"Satine, don't cry, we're together again. Aren't you happy?" said Christian.

Satine sobbed. "The duke… he knows you're alive. He's going to hurt us… what if he kills you?"

Christian shook his head and bit his lip. "That's not going to happen, Satine. I won't let it happen."

Slowly, he leaned to kiss her, brushing Satine's long, firry hair away from her face. Christian cupped her thin porcelain cheeks as they kissed passionately, reliving every moment they'd had together in that single instant.

"I love you." said Christian quietly, a tear escaping from his eye. "I love you more than anything."


	7. Chapter 7

Zidler looked on with amazement. Didn't they know what would happen if they were seen together?

"We are creatures of the night." said Zidler loudly. "We are not capable of love."

Christian and Satine, still locked in their passionate embrace, sprung apart like schoolchildren found fighting.

"Satine, you must know you cannot love him. The duke will not fail to kill Christian this time," said Zidler darkly to Satine, entirely ignoring Christian's presence.

"We're in love! Why can't he just accept that I don't love him!" shouted Satine, tears running down her face and matting her scarlet locks.

"The duke is a very jealous man, Satine. There is little you can do to stop him. He purchased the Moulin Rouge just to get at you; why do you continuously refuse to love him? He certainly loves you!" said Zidler, crossing his fat arms.

"No!" exclaimed Satine. "That's not love! That's seducing… poor seducing. Love… love is when you can' stop thinking about them and you don't care what happens because no matter what you love them!"

"All you need is love," blurted Christian, stepping onto the stage.

"Exactly!" exclaimed Satine, clambering onto the stage next to Christian.

"All you need is love!" sang Satine, off key. "All you need is love!" she sang again, her voice growing stronger.

"All you need is love, love, love is all you need!" they sang together, laughing.

"Christian, get out!" exclaimed Zidler. "The duke is here!"

The color and happiness drained out of Christian's face as he heard those fateful words.

"Go!" exclaimed Satine, who looked very scared. "Go, Christian!"

Christian bit his lip, looking back and forth between the doors and Satine. He hurriedly embraced Satine, kissing her pale rose-colored lips.

"I'll be back again. Soon." said Christian, darting off the stage. His un-tucked shirttails flew out behind him like streamers.

"Goodbye!" shouted Satine, slowly leaving the stage as more and more tears welled up in her eyes.

"This is all your fault!" she said bitterly. "Everything!"

"My fault?" Zidler replied, "It was you who fell in love with him!"

"You let the Duke buy the Moulin Rouge!"

Zidler looked at his feet, knowing she was right. If that had never happened, the lovers could have been together… forever.


	8. Chapter 8

Christian paced nervously about his room. It had been hours since he'd seen Satine, and although he was happy to know she was alive it wasn't enough. He wanted to be with her, be next to her, and feel the softness of her skin at every moment. He'd almost lost her before, and Christian couldn't handle going through that again. It might be the death of him.

It was odd, this feeling that Christian had. He wanted Satine, wanted her with a near-carnal desire that exceeded love- no, this was necessity.

He was angry, too- what right did the duke have to take Satine away from him? The duke knew they were in love.

"Love is like oxygen." he said, crossing his arms and looking out the window. The infamous windmill of the Moulin Rouge never stopped spinning, drawing men to its allure.

But then Christian remembered- nothing was the same. The Moulin Rouge had been sold and it couldn't be the same place he remembered. It was meant to be a bohemian stage, not a dancing-and-singing brothel.

"Why must everything change so fast?" Christian said aloud, bitterly. "Oh, Satine!" he added, almost deliriously. He wished he could see her, just to know she was still okay. He thought about her constantly, to the point where every single other thought he could have was blotted out by his love for her. He was frustrated, like he had never been before. The Duke didn't know that Christian had seen Satine. There was no way Christian could get in without raising suspicion.

"I hate being so helpless!" he yelled, about to break down. Christian was falling apart and there was little he could do about it.

"Satine, I love you!" he screamed out his window at the grand elephant that reminded him of so much.

Christian heard faint tinklings of piano coming from inside- did Satine hear him?

"I have to find out." said Christian to the quickly darkening air. He hurriedly put on his jacket and started walking, determined to see Satine once again and proclaim their love in front of anyone, at whatever the cost.

"Toulouse, I'm leaving!" shouted Christian. A resounding 'thump' from upstairs told him that Toulouse approved, or at least had heard him.

Christian was worried as he crossed, post-haste, the courtyard between Satine's great elephant and his own apartment. Was she okay? Had the Duke found out?

Christian rushed up the stairs to the elephant, banging on the door and breathing heavily.

The door opened a crack and a brilliantly deep blue eye peered out.

"Christian?" whispered Satine.

"Yes, it's me, please let me come in." said Christian tiredly.

"I can't! The Duke… he's here!"

Christian's eyes widened as the Duke threw open the door angrily. "You! You know she's alive!"


	9. Chapter 9

"Of course I know!" shouted back Christian "Don't I love her?"

"Ha!" scoffed the Duke. "Love? All you can give her is your petty love! I can show her the world!"

Satine angrily broke into their argument. "Does it even matter?" she shouted. "I-I love Christian! Not you, never you!" Tears were beginning to well up in Satine's eyes.

"Satine! You belong to me- you can go quietly and submit or we can make this far harder than it should be!" exclaimed the Duke, roughly taking hold of Satine's arm.

"I don't BELONG to you! I am a person! I refuse to be your-" she said this part quite nastily- "sex slave!"

"Oh really?" said the Duke, tightening his hold on Satine's arm.

"Christian…" she faltered, crying hard. "Christian loves me for me! You only love me because I'm practically a prostitute!"

Christian frowned, not wanting Satine to describe herself in such a wretched way. She wasn't a prostitute, she was a dancer, a singer… and yet in the back of his mind he knew that she did in fact sell her body for money,. Worse, he knew that she would have to keep doing it while Christian had no money.

"Satine, please… let's just go." said Christian, trying to avoid any sort of altercation.

Satine was crying full-on now as she realized once and for all she would have to choose between money and love.

Last time, she had chosen money, but love… love was more important, wasn't it?

"Satine, please, we need to go now, please!" pleaded Christian, putting a hand lightly on Satine's shoulder, as he noticed the Duke getting angrier.

Satine pulled away from his touch, burying her face in her hands.

"I hate you!" she screamed at the Duke, "Get out of my elephant!"

The Duke laughed once again. "I'm afraid you're out of house and home, Satine- the Moulin Rouge belongs to me… and so does, of course, this elephant."

Satine screamed in frustration and sadness. She no longer had a home? "Where am I meant to live?"

"I'm sure your boyfriend here will take you in… or is that just another fantasy inside our heads, since he seems to be rather volatile." said the Duke nastily, sneering at Christian.

"Satine, I love you, and I won't throw you out." said Christian reassuringly, leading Satine out of her elephant as she wept.


	10. Chapter 10

"I don't have a job, Christian, how are we supposed to survive?" asked Satine, frightened, as Christian led her into his flat.

Christian, from a middle-class family, had never had to worry about surviving no matter how little money he had. Somehow, he'd stayed alive for months now… but he'd had a job.

"I don't know." said Christian truthfully, knowing that he couldn't support himself, let alone Satine, and not knowing what they were to do.

"I-I don't WANT to live on the streets, Christian." said Satine, shaking in her thin red dress.

"Do you think I do?" said Christian, slightly angrily, "I can barely support myself, let alone you!" he shouted.

"Christian!" she said, tears running down her face and smearing the mascara she'd thickly applied to her eyelashes across her cheeks, "You- you said you would take me in!"

"Only because I had to!" screamed Christian, "Not because I could! I love you, Satine, but I don't' know what we're supposed to do for money when neither of us have jobs! I can't just rely on Toulouse for my entire life!"

"Christian, why did you come here?" asked Satine suddenly, crossing her arms.

"Because I wanted to be part of the bohemian movement, that's it. Because I wanted to write about freedom, and truth, and beauty, and love!" said Christian, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"So why aren't you? Why won't you write? I know we could have enough money to survive if you would just write!" exclaimed Satine.

Christian laughed once. "It doesn't work that way, Satine! Just because I write doesn't mean I get money!"

Satine rolled her eyes. "Of course I know that, but how will you ever know if you're going to be published if you won't even write?"

"I don't know if I'll be published, I don't know if I can get money from this, I don't know any of this at all. All I know is that I haven't been able to write since…" Christian faltered.

"Since what, Christian?"

"Since you… since you… since you died, Satine."

Satine bit her lip. "But I'm alive now, Christian, doesn't that make all the difference in the world? Christian, I asked you to tell our story, so why aren't you?"

"Because our story isn't over yet. Will it ever be over? Will we ever stop battling the Duke, battling everyone because no one will believe that we're in love?"

Satine looked sad as she spoke only five words- "One day, it will end."

She turned and left the apartment, leaving Christian to think, and to look pensively, sadly, remorsefully even, at the Underwood that lie on his desk, eagerly awaiting his words.


End file.
